


Loud Neighbors

by delirious_writer



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, F/F, ends with fluff, pricefield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-14 23:29:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4584309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delirious_writer/pseuds/delirious_writer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Max and Chloe are apartment neighbors, and Rachel visits Chloe regularly, keeping Max up at night from their constant obnoxious noises until Rachel stops visiting, and Max is unable to see Chloe so broken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loud Neighbors

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off of [this post.](http://oblivious-artist.tumblr.com/post/126720005333/ladiieschoice-ok-but-a-your-apartment-is-next)  
> Just a quick thing I put together while lying in bed, and it turned into a 3k fanfic woops

Max's tired eyes shot open at the sound of more loud, obnoxious giggling from the other side of the thin wall. She groaned loudly, as if her neighbors would hear, and slowly sat up in her squeaky bed.

A yawn escaped her lips as she focused her eyes on the clock, which read nearly 3 am next to her bed. "Fuck," Max cursed, running her fingers through her messy, brown hair.

Ever since this new neighbor moved in 3 months ago, her girlfriend would visit regularly, and Max barely slept for longer than a few hours without another disruption. It was annoying as hell, and Max was surely fed up with this mess.

Although she complained nearly a thousand times now, no further actions were made, other than a few stern comments towards her. Max always made her annoyance obvious through eye rolling and groaning whenever she saw the girl.

A loud bang interrupted Max's thoughts, and she could hear one of them playfully yell, "You broke my fucking lamp! You bitch!" More giggles filled the air, and Max clenched her fist in frustration.

This was it. This was the last straw. Max threw off the covers, quickly putting on her slippers and stomping out. She headed to the neighbor's door, knocked, and crossed her arms grumpily.

There was no answer, so Max knocked harder this time. Silence manifested from the two girls in the room, and Max could hear foot steps approaching the door.

As it swung open, the door nearly hit Max before she moved back, nearly falling backwards. She glared bitterly at the girl and grumbled, "It's 3 am, Price."

The neighbor leaned on the door frame with her forearm propped up and leaned the side of her head against it. She had messy blue hair with blonde roots beginning to show next to the dyed purple. She wore a loose tanktop with nothing underneath and black boxers, along with a cheeky grin.

"Call me Chloe, _Maxine_ ," the girl teased playfully with raised eyebrows and bright, blue eyes.

Max rolled her eyes, as usual to any remark or any word Chloe would say. "Just keep it down. I have shit to do tomorrow, and I've heard enough of you and your gal pal."

"Hey, Rachel and I are just having hella fun," Chloe scoffed and shrugged. "Chill."

Max narrowed her gaze in a cold glare at the girl before pointing two fingers at her own eyes and then to Chloe's. "I'm watching you."

The blue-haired girl didn't change her now-deadpan expression as she swiftly closed the door on Max.

"Ugh," Max groaned to herself as she turned to go to her room, "why do I get the annoying neighbor?" 

A second later, loud music erupted from the room, followed by someone inside yelling, "Fuck yeah!" Max pinched the bridge of her nose and huffed in frustration. She began walking to her room, trying to push away the banging headache that was beginning to form in her temples.

She locked her door and immediately headed to lie in her bed. Facing away from the wall once she settled down, she used her second pillow to cover her head and hopefully drown out some of the sound.

Disappointingly, the music continued to blare in her ears, and Max let out a long sigh. This was going to be another long night.

 

\-----------

 

Two months had passed since that encounter. Ever since, Max was surprised to find that she actually began to get full nights of sleep without disruption from any giggling or yelling or moaning.

It was a complete miracle, and Max had guessed that her thousands of complaints finally made it to Chloe, and now Max was left with some beautiful peace and quiet.

She was on her way back to her room from a good night out with her friends before she froze when she noticed a hooded figure in front of Chloe's door. A first glance made Max think a robber waiting and planning something until she noticed the person's state.

They were slumped over, with their arm on the door and their forehead on their wrist. Their shoulders were trembling, and their fists were balled up tightly.

Max gulped before slowly taking a step forward and bravely asking, "Excuse me?"

The figure didn't move, and Max opened her mouth to repeat herself in case they didn't hear, but the figure then looked over at Max.

It was Chloe. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her cheeks were wet with tears. She opened her mouth a little to respond, but she closed it and looked down at the ground in front of Max's feet, unable to find words.

Max was dumbstruck to find Chloe Price like this. The crying girl in front of her was the badass trouble-maker who would always strut to her room while whistling loudly and twirling her keys confidently. Now, the girl was slumped in front of her door with tears still streaming down her broken face.

Now that she thought about it more, Max noticed the sudden change in Chloe in the previous months. She would walk with more of a slump, she wouldn't laugh as much as she did, and her voice was deeper and slower, instead of being a bright and confident rebel.

Max internally groaned at herself for being so oblivious to Chloe's change. Rachel had stopped visiting. Ever since the first night of silence, Max never saw Rachel wandering around the complex. She had always guessed that they made a comprimise to meet somewhere else, or she just never was out of her room at the same time Rachel was, which was a ridiculous idea.

"Max," Chloe rasped, immediately clearing her throat at the sound of her hoarse voice. "I was just going in my room." She immediately began fumbling for her keys in her pocket.

"Chloe, stop," Max murmured softly, freezing Chloe in her place. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Chloe took a few moments of silence to gather herself before her shoulders finally dropped. "Rachel's gone." Max watched as Chloe bit her lip hard and shut her eyes tight to stop herself from crying anymore.

"How…how is she gone?" Max asked, her voice soft and low. Her heart ached for the poor girl, and she hated how she couldn't do much for her.

"I don't fucking know," Chloe suddenly spat, moving again to unlock her door. "She's just gone, and she fucking left me behind." She entered her room and harshly slammed the door behind her.

Max stood for a moment alone in silence, hearing a large crash inside the room, followed by a yell. The brunette found the strength to walk up to the door, and she knocked a few times.

No answer. Max sighed and turned to walk away before loud crying stopped her in her tracks. She turned to look at Chloe's door for a few moments in sorrow.

"Fuck you, Rachel!" could be heard inside. "I loved you, and you disappear on me like that! How could you?" 

Max sighed and slumped her shoulders before heading to her room. She unlocked the door and went to sit on her bed. The brunette reached over and hugged a pillow tight, burying her face in the fabric.

She didn't know what to do. All she wanted right now was to see Chloe okay, or to just see her smile at least a little bit.

Chloe's sobs died down some after a while, and Max guessed she fell asleep. The brunette slipped under her bed covers and closed her tired eyes to try and take her mind off of the situation.

Her chest was still aching with sorrow, but she tried to push it out her mind and shake it off with sleep. She sighed deeply and brought the covers over her face to hopefully shield her from the world as she began to ever so slowly drift off.

"Please, god, give her back to me."

Max's eyes opened when she heard Chloe murmur weakly from the other side of the wall.

Guilt pierced into Max's heart as she wiped away tears that had snuck down her cheeks. Though she wasn't sure of it, Max hated herself for letting this happen. She clenched her fist tight, knowing it was all her fault for this happening. She did this to Chloe.

With tears wetting her pillow and a chest filled with pain and anguish, Max's lack of energy and her crushed heart slowly drifted her off into sleep.

 

\-------

 

Four more months had passed now, and Chloe had stopped crying every night. Max was relieved that she could sleep more, but Chloe's constant broken state kept Max's anguish in place.

Every day, Chloe would still walk around with these tired eyes that would only stared blankly at the ground. Her posture was poor, and her hands were always hidden in her pockets. She never stopped to greet others anymore, and she avoided eye contact with everyone.

Rarely, Chloe would glance over at Max while she was busy unlocking her door. She would search Max's face for a few moments for something before looking at the ground in defeat and entering her own room. Max would catch this in the corner of her eye, but she pretended that she didn't notice every time.

Max couldn't stand this anymore; she needed to see the blue-haired girl's smile at least once. After coming back from one of her classes, Max headed straight for Chloe's door.

She knocked twice and waited. There was no answer, but Max knew Chloe would always come home 2 hours earlier than Max. She knocked again with the bottom of her fist to be louder.

A chair shifted inside the room, and Max sighed before calling out, "Chloe, I know you're in there."

Max desperately tried to turn the knob, but it was locked, as expected. She let out a heavy sigh and chewed at her lip nervously.

"Chloe, you're always home at this time," Max desperately pleaded, her shaky voice lowering as the silence continued. "I just want to talk to you, okay? You've been so distant, and you don't talk to me anymore. I'm here for you, Chloe. I want you to know that. I want to help you. Just please open this door and talk to me."

Nothing happened.

Max sighed and rested her forehead against the door and closed her eyes. "Just please talk to me."

A tear rolled down her cheek, and Max furrowed her brows in anguish. This was killing her. The whole situation had to be her fault; there was no other explanation for it. Because of her annoying complaints and constant hatred in the past, Rachel was gone, and Chloe was a complete wreck. Max had hurt Chloe, and it was obvious.

The door shifted, and Max jumped back immediately to avoid being swung by it. Chloe was standing there in a leather jacket and ripped jeans and dirty boots, seeming like she didn't bother changing once returning home. Her blue hair was messier than usual, seeming to be pushed back under a dark beanie.

"Max." Chloe took a moment to fix her trembling voice. She looked at Max with pleading eyes and let out a deep sigh. Her mouth open to say something before she closed it.

The blue-haired girl simply stepped aside, gesturing for the other girl to come in. Max nervously stepped inside and quietly took a look around.

Clothes were thrown over the floor and couch, and plates were unwashed and left all over tables. Chloe walked in front Max and led her to the couch, and they both sat next to each other. Chloe was slumped over open legs with her arms resting on her knees while Max politely sat beside her with tightly closed legs.

"She's gone," Chloe murmured, burying her face in her hands. "Rachel's gone, and I can't get her back."

Max was silent for a while to search for words. "When did she leave?"

"Like 2 weeks after that time you came up to our door late at night. Max, I'm nothing without her," Chloe added, shaking her head slowly.

"No, you're not," Max reassured her, scooting closer to rub the girl's back. "You're Chloe Price. You're the badass rebel girl that everyone dreams of being."

Chloe just groaned, "I used to be. Without her, I'm not."

"Stop saying that, Chloe. You still are, and you always will be. I can promise you that," Max murmured.

"How? Look at me!" Chloe straightened up and looked at Max before gesturing to herself. "I'm a fucking mess."

Max reached up to lay her hand on Chloe's arms, gently bringing them down. "You know what I see when I look at you?"

Chloe only nodded.

"I see the crazy punk I knew months ago, still there. She's just in a bad place, so she's pulling herself down because of that. Her lightning blue hair and cool leather clothes definitely haven't changed, and neither has she," Max explained before placing her hand on Chloe's knee. "Listen, I know how you feel. I know how life sucks, and how the world seems terrible right now, but that shouldn't stop you from being the carefree trouble-making kid you are. Besides, it's way more fun being a cool punk with a shit-eating grin than this."

Chloe smiled uncontrollably at this, and Max's chest immediately fluttered when she saw the blue-haired girl light up. "Yeah, I guess," Chloe softly murmured, turning to smile at the ground in thought.

"What was that?" Max teasingly cupped her hand around her ear and turned her head. "I didn't quite catch that."

Chloe gently shoved Max's shoulder and shook her head. "You're a huge geek, y'know that?" she chuckled with a quiet voice.

"Come on!" Max laughed, standing up suddenly. She gestured her hands out to Chloe, who was staring at her in surprise. 

Chloe sat there for a moment, taken by surprise, and Max slightly raised her shoulders and smiled encouragingly in response. The blue-haired girl's gaze shifted from Max's eyes to her hands before Max finally rolled her eyes and took Chloe's hands and pulled her on her feet.

The brunette watched the other girl stand up with her poor posture and weak smile, so Max put her hands on Chloe's shoulders. "Stand up straight and confident." Chloe took a moment to raise her eyebrow before obediently listening.

Max shifted her weight to one leg and tapped her chin in thought. Something was still off about Chloe. She scanned all of Chloe before it hit her.

She tapped Chloe's cheek. "Give me your best I-don't-give-a-fuck smile." Chloe grinned and laughed in response, and Max brightened. "Yes, that's it!"

Chloe's slowly stopped laughing and stood there, smiling wide at Max. It was the first time in so long that she looked and felt this way. Suddenly, Rachel appeared in her mind again, and the everlasting anguish hit her again, and guilt consumed her. 

Max watched as Chloe suddenly dropped her shoulders and averted her gaze. "Aw, don't lose it now!" Max gripped onto Chloe's arms and shook her gently. "I can't lose the badass punk again. Bring her back!"

They made eye contact again, and Chloe blinked in pleasant surprise as the sorrow in her heart seemed to vanish once she met Max's eager, blue eyes. She felt light and fluffy once again, and she couldn't help but smile in astonishment at how easily Max helped her.

"You're a dork," Chloe murmured, unable to express her sudden feelings.

"There she is," Max giggled, keeping her hold on Chloe's leather sleeves.

They stood there for a while with Max gently gripping onto Chloe while they kept their soft gaze. For a second, Max swore she felt her heart skip a beat when Chloe grinned subtly at her.

"Glad you're back," Max murmured softly and abruptly changed her tone as she continued. "Well! I have to get going to my homework." As she spoke, she walked over to the couch and swung her bag over her shoulder. "Online assignments have serious deadlines, and I can't give this class up now."

She turned to Chloe to see the blue-haired girl still had her arms out a little like before, frozen in place from Max's sudden rush. Without saying a word, Chloe only blinked at Max.

"This was…fun," Max brightened, giving Chloe another smile. "Be sure to keep your head up, alright?"

Chloe watched Max leave the room, and she stayed standing there for a while longer before rubbing her face and letting out a long sigh. She wandered over and dropped down on her couch lazily, lying down openly with one arm on the couch's back and the other hanging off.

She smiled as the memory of Max excitedly jumping in front of her replayed again and again in her mind. Unable to clear her mind, she grabbed her beanie in a tight fist and flung it across the room, letting it hit the small tv and fall to the floor. Groaning, Chloe covered her red face with her arm in frustration because even she knew that she couldn't push away these feelings, no matter how hard she tried.

Meanwhile, Max had raced into her room, and she had shut the door behind her. She stood by herself with her back and her arms pressed to the door. Her heart was still racing fast, both from nearly sprinting to her room and from the encounter with her neighbor.

Grabbing at her shirt, Max stumbled over to her bedroom and to her bed to lie down, planting her face into the soft bedsheets. She grabbed a pillow and pressed her face into it, snuggling it close to hide herself. Her chest was still fluttering, and her toes curled at the memory of Chloe looking at her with her gorgeous face and her undeniably attractive smirk.

She tightened her grip when she thought about what would've happened if she hugged Chloe. She would've been able to smell her scent and feel her warmth. She would nuzzle her face into the girl's chest and listen to Chloe's slow, calm breathing.

Immediately realizing her bizzare thoughts, Max rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She threw the pillow away from her in frustration as she rubbed her eyes.

Though both of them were hesitant about what they were feeling, they both knew what they were spiriling into. The light butterflies and fast heartbeats were unmistakeable, yet neither of them could bother to deny the fact that they couldn't wait to see each other again.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a feeling that I want to continue this, but I'm not sure. Tell me if you'd be up for it!


End file.
